The present invention pertains to birthing pools, and in particular portable, inflatable birthing pools.
The use of birthing pools has become more common, especially in recent years as the benefits of water birthing have become better understood. Such benefits include a more relaxed and less painful labor, which is a result of the mother being able to assume a more comfortable position, as well as the increase in buoyancy of the body when in the water. Also, the warmth of the water may produce a sedative effect leading to more relaxation. As a result, at least during the first stages of labor, often reduced or no anesthesia is required.
In addition, water birth is thought to provide support for the birthing mother's perineum, leading to lower risk of tissue tearing and reduced need for the use of epidurals. As a result, water immersion could lead to a reduction in the length of the first stage of labor.
Hospitals now commonly provide permanently installed birthing pools. With the increased number of home births occurring, portable pools have been developed. Such portable pools may be of rigid or inflatable construction. An obvious advantage of an inflatable pool is that of portability and ease of storage. Drawbacks of current inflatable pools include the need for wide sidewall thicknesses to safely contain the volume of water in the pool, which can exceed at least 150 gallons. Also, inflatable pools are commonly circular in shape, thereby requiring significant floor space. In addition, with existing birthing pools, if a puncture occurs oftentimes the pool does not have sufficient structural integrity to contain the water therein. These issues are sought to be addressed by the birthing pool of the present disclosure.